~------- -----~--:::--------- Jl)eatlen£> ll)apptnefs. 465 ----~-------------- God: rhere are thofe goodly Prophet, Ef.•Y, Jeremy, Ez.ckjcl, and the relr; no.t no1v fub'ect ro the torm.cnts of their cruel adverfarie?, but wearmg Palms and Crowns, and Hcb. "· 22 • all ~ther glorious EnGgnes of their victorious triumphs; thcr~ bve thofe glonous Apollles, Peter, Andren-, Janus, John, and the relt; not_ now md2nger of pcrfe~ut10n or death, but arrayed in long robcnvajhea andmade wh•:e m the blood oftl,e Lamb: there 1;\<v. 7 • '<· Jive thofe women-Saints, Mary, Martha, and that Vrrgm-mother; not ~ow weepmg at our Saviour deaths, but Gnging unto him thofe heavenly fongs of prarfe and glory world without end: there are tho fc tender infants (cm hundred fourty four thoufand, Ri:· vrl. 14-!.) not now under Hcrods knife bleeding tlntodeath, but harping on their harpf, Rov. 14 r,3,1 a1dfol~winl the Lamb whitherfoc~er hegocth: there lrves that noble. army of Martyrs, (they that were jiam upon the earw, Rcuel. r8. 2+) not now under the mercrletfe hands of cruel tyrants, but lingmg and fayrng therr Hallelujahs, falva~wn, andglory, and ho- . nMr, and power be 1111to the Dord our God: there dwell all the Samts and fcrvant_s of God Rev. IS. •.!· (both fnal/ and great, Revel. I 9· 5.) not now Gghing in this vale of tears, but tinging fweet fangs that eccho through the Heavens; As the voyce ofmany waters, as the voyce of mighty rhunderings, [o is their voyce, faying, Hallelu;ah, for the Lord God omnipotent Rev. I 9 , t$ reigmth. And is not here a gooly troop, a fwect company, a bletfed focrcty and fellowlhip of Saints? 0 my foul; how happy wer't thou to be With them ! · ye~, ho\11 happy will that day be to thee, when thou fhalt meet all the Patriarchs, Prophets, Apoftles, Difciplcs, Innocents, Martyrs, the Saints, and fervants of the King of Heaven? . Rcv,19. S· why thus happy and bletfcd is this penitent Thief: no fooner cntred he into the gates of Heaven, but there meets him lVith m~tjicluwd da,tcmg, all the qmre of ~eaven, and (Lord) what a joy entred into hisfoul when his foul entred into his M.,ftm joy ? Tell me (could I fpeak with thee that dwellelt in the Heavens) what a day was that, \vhen ll:ep- Rev I9· " · ping from the Crotfe, and conducted to Paradifc, thou wall: there received with all honourable companies and troopes above? there did the Patriarchs meet thee, and the Prophets hug thee, and the,Martyrs fl:ruck up their Harps to bid thee welcome to the Luk. 1 S• 2 s. Tabernacle of Heaven. Such honour have all his Saints that attain the feUowfhip of the Saints in glory. But more than fo, thou]halt be rvith me] and therefore with my Angrls: Lo here a bletfed company indeed; thefe are the heavenly Chorifters eternally finging Jehovahs Efay 6. J• praife: The Seraphims cry aloud, Holy, H oly, Holy is the Lord ofHafts; an Army a:nfwer to the antheme, Glory to God on high: The wlrole ~ire of he~Ven adde the burthen, 7hou Arb worthy, 0 Lord, to receive honour, andglory, and power; for t/;uti haft created all things, andfor thyJab.! they are and were created. 0 heavenly harmo'ny' ReYcl. 4. 11 · confillingof ten thGufand timestenthouf•nd various forts of Mufick! lheard(faith Rev. s. 11 ·• Joh>1 the Divine) the v,y,·e of many Angels round about the throne, and the number of them rva: ten thoufand tin~es ten thM[dn~, thoufands of thot<(«"d'-; thefe are the jlJining ]oh. 38 1• andjingmg Stars, of whrchGod told hrs fervantJob, The mormn;; Stars ftng together, and tke(ons of God jhot<t far ;oy. Thefe are the lvmged Choriftcrs of heavcrt, whom Joint RevcJ. , 9 6 , the Divine heard Gnging their fongs of' Hallelujah and Hofanna; I heard (faith he) the Gen. oa. I 2, voyce ofagre~<t mctltitude, as the voy,·e of many Waters, the voycc of many Anuels, lin<'- ing, and[ayin,~. Hallelujah, and again: Hallelujah: thefe arc the r!tmble Pof//'ofheave":z, Exod, '3· 20. whom ]'acob faw flying up and do'wn the Ladder: thefc arc the Prote[/or' of thegodly, whofe ard God promife,d the Ifraditcs; Behold, I fend aJt A-rgel before thtc to /z1ep thee in the way~ and to bring thee to the place which I have prepared. Thefe are the G~<ardians l>'arth. ,a. 10 • ofGods ch,/drenof whom our Saviour told his Difciplcs, that in Heauen their Ange!J al_wa. :yes behold th_lface ofhis Father: thefe are the armies o"God, who mcetillg ]acob in. h h r d ' Gen. 32. a IS JOurny, _e ~ar , This is Gods hoft: thefe are the fpirits tmd Mi>!ifters 'f God, whom Dav:ddcfcrrbmg by the purity of their fubfiance, and readinetfe <?f their obedience; ke calls the Angels fpirits, 11nd his Minifters a flame offt•·e. They are Jhining and ftnging Pfal. Io4. 4· ftars, wmged chorifters, mmble Pofts ofhi,.vcn, Protectors 'f the godly, gttardtaw of children, the arnt>es ofthe Almigh'ty, thefpirits and Minifters ofthe g>·eat Jchovah. ':Vhat bletfed c?mpany is this we ll1all enjoy in heaven?there is nothihg in them but is a'?~able,no~hmg m them but is admirable:O that this clay of ours fhould come to dwell Wrth thofe mcorporeal fplrits! and yet fee here a man, a thief, (the worll: of men:) by.hrs confeffion, and contrition, and faith in Chrill:, is now become acompanion with Angels. • Nor ~s that all, Thou j/."alt be rvith ~e] no: onely with my Sttints and Angels, bnt with me] (w1thmy foul) m Parad•[e. H1s foul mdced was there, though hi~ body at that 0 oo tim~-
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